The 17th at the Old Course St.
Andrews is one of the most
renowned holes in golf. Named
the ‘Road Hole’, this menacing
401-metre, par 4, features a tee-
shot played over a building and a
road with a charming stonewall in
play immediately behind the green.
There’s a devilish greenside pot
bunker. And a shallow green set at
45 degrees to the fairway that slopes
into that same bunker.
Many British Open hopefuls
have stumbled at The ‘Road Hole’.
Here are just some of the notable
disasters at the Old Course’s
penultimate hole. Be sure to check
out the videos as well.
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discovergolf.com.au
Image Credit: Evan Schiller Photography, www.golfshots.com
NO. 17
‘ROAD HOLE’
British Open
major event
In 1978 American Arnold
Palmer was making a charge
until he blocked his drive out of
bounds onto the grounds of the
Old Course Hotel, and wound
up making a triple-bogey seven.
American Tom Watson was
tied for the lead on Sunday in
1984 standing on the 17th tee.
His two-iron approach overshot
the green. Watson with his back
literally against the wall—the
ancient stonewall—made bogey
opening the door for Seve
Ballesteros to take victory.
Italian Costantino Rocca met
American John Daly in a playoff
for the 1995 title. But Rocca’s
chance to win ended in the
Road Hole bunker when he
needed three tries to escape
and made a seven.
In 2000 American David
Duval’s effort to stop compatriot
Tiger Woods’s runaway win
came to a sudden halt when he
required four swings to get out
of the dreaded road bunker.
And then there’s poor Tommy
Nakajima. In the third round of
the 1978 Open the Japanese
golfer came to the 17th hole
4-under for the day and tied
for the lead. But his title hopes
took a turn for the worse when
his long birdie putt veered
off-line and trundled into the
bunker. That’s right. His second
found the green and his third
found the bunker. Shots four,
five, six and seven were played
from the bunker and when the
sandstorm cleared, Nakajima
signed for a quintuple-bogey
nine. He finished 17th.
The 17th was ranked the most difficult hole at the
2000, 2005 and 2010 British Open’s averaging of
4.71, 4.63 and 4.66 respectively.
Image Credit: David Cannon / Getty Images
Out of bounds, a stonewall & a devilish bunker. The ‘Road Hole’ features many hazards.
Video
Amazing shot-Jimenez
by The Open
Video
Tommy Nakajima
by R&A Archive